This week in Highlanders in the News: Radford hosts this year’s Big South Conference’s esports tournament and scores two big titles; Roanoke special education teacher Kenai Hunt ’21, M.S. ’22, lends support to the school system of her youth; and Ripken, the famous black Lab trained by Michael O’Donnell ’10, is back to save the Durham Bulls’ bats.

Students from a dozen local schools, each vying to advance to the state level, brought their research projects to Radford’s judges on March 15. With attendance at a high, the dozens and dozens of wide-ranging topics students selected ran the gamut from the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and Hurricane Katrina to the Treaty of Versailles and Martha Graham.

In its March quarterly meetings, the Radford University Board of Visitors voted to authorize a 1.5% tuition increase for all undergraduate students, a 3% increase for all graduate students and a mandatory comprehensive fee increase of 3.59% for the 2024-25 academic year. 

This week in Highlanders in the News: Professor of Physics Rhett Herman marks 18 years of student research trips to Utqiagvik, Alaska, some 300 miles above the Arctic Circle; three of the Traylor-Walker siblings – Ashlyn, Pa’Shence and Adelyn – give a roundtable interview about playing Highlander basketball as a set of sisters; and Assistant Professor of Management Zachary Collier has tips on chips.

Every two weeks, Highlander Highlights shares with readers some of the extraordinary research and accomplishments happening on and off campus through the tireless work and curiosity of our students and faculty. 

Every two weeks, Highlander Highlights shares with readers some of the extraordinary research and accomplishments happening on and off campus through the tireless work and curiosity of our students and faculty.

Radford University’s Office of the Provost has presented Dalton Eminent Scholar Awards to two faculty members in recognition of their distinguished academic reputations. 

This week in Highlanders in the News: Sophomore basketball star Olivia Wagner draws accolades for her skills on the court; Vice President of Enrollment Management and Strategic Communications Dannette Gomez Beane addresses a delay on financial aid in an interview with WDBJ7; and Department of Political Science Chair Chapman Rackaway talks border issues with WSLS-TV.